Unfair Hiring - Department of the Army Civilian

I work for the US Government as a Department of the Army Civilian. The moral issue that I see with the government is unfair hiring practices. Various Federal agencies fill their jobs like private industry by allowing applicants to contact the agency directly for job information and application processing. Mainly, all Federal agencies are responsible for their own hiring actions. Resumes are preferred when applying; however, the Optional Application for Federal employment, OF 612, is also accepted. Most positions do not require a written test.

I have been working for the Federal Government for over ten years. I work in the Post Judge Advocate office as a paralegal. My profession is to process damage household goods claims and process demands against the moving company. I also serve as a notary public for the base. My office consists of three attorney, two paralegal and one office assistant. In my partial office, I have seen only one moral issue that can bring down the self-esteem in the office.

I would like to address the hiring issue of one of our attorneys and the effect it has on her being hired as a full time employee. She is the hardest and the most dedicated tough working attorney I ever had the privilege to work with. She was hired three years ago as a temporary employee due to the deployment of one of the attorneys who was called to serve in the Army reserve for a year. When the attorney returned from serving her country, she returned to her position in the office, which left the short-term attorney without a job. This attorney was well aware that she would have to leave, and that she was only there on a provisional basis.

The attorney that returned from serving her country became pregnant after a year of returning to the job. She had the baby decided to take an extended leave of absence and resigned from her position. The Government made a decision, re-hires the temporary attorney and hired her as a term employee, she accepted the position. She has now been working in this position for over a year.

There are policies and procedures that are required and must be followed when it comes to hiring full time employees. There are many moral and ethical procedures that a manager deals with when it comes to hiring process. Managers are not to discriminate, show prejudice against anyone, and they should hire regardless of race, color or gender. What I see in the Government hiring process is it's not what you know but who you know. I have seen people less qualified, but because they know someone who knows someone they are hired on the spot. I also see because your family member works for the Government, they hire the entire family. I, furthermore, see that managers can go to the personnel office and name request someone without that person submitting an application..

This in my book this is morally and ethical wrong. This attorney does everything according to